A web place for epistles, sermons, homilies, and other spiritual and pastoral reflections of Fr John Brian Paprock, including Sunday sermons from Holy Transfiguration Chapel in Madison Wisconsin and links to articles published on-line. All images are from the archives of Fr John Brian. Most of them are photographs taken by him. Permission to use any of the content of this blog needs to be requested - frjohnbrian@gmail.com

Fr John Brian gives a short sermon on Origen's fourth remission - the remission through "forgiving the sins of a brother."

Romans 14 is used in the sermon along with prayers from the first service of preparation for Holy Qurbana.

This sermon uses and refers to scripture readings appointed by the Syrian Malankara calendar and was given on Sunday, February 26, 2012 by Fr. John-Brian Paprock at Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission Chapel, Madison, Wisconsin.

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In preparation for Lent, Fr John Brian further clarifies a definition of sacrifice, reviewing Origen's first two correlations
with sacrifices in Leviticus: baptism and martyrdom. Then he talks about Origen's third remission - the remission through alms and charitible giving.

Luke 12:32-34 is used in the sermon.

This sermon uses and refers to scripture readings appointed by the Syrian Malankara calendar and was given on Sunday, February 19, 2012 by Fr. John-Brian Paprock at Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission
Chapel, Madison, Wisconsin.

This is a particularly important time for our mission - please pray for us and let us know your support. This year has great potential and we need your spiritual and earthly encouragement and support. Thank you in advance for your kindness and considerations.

This week of preparation for Lent, Fr. John Brian focuses on a definition of sacrifice, using the root of the English word for undertanding. Then he talks about Origen's first two correlations with sacrifices in Leviticus: baptism and martyrdom.

To be continued through Lent.

This sermon uses and refers to scripture readings appointed by the Syrian Malankara calendar and was given on Sunday, February 12, 2012 by Fr. John-Brian Paprock at Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission
Chapel, Madison, Wisconsin.

This is a particularly important time for our mission - please pray for us and let us know your support. This year has great potential and we need your spiritual and earthly encouragement and support. Thank you in advance for your kindness and considerations.

... perhaps the hearers of the Church may say, generally it was better with the ancients than with us, when pardon for sinners was obtained by offering sacrifices in a diverse ritual.

Among us, there is only one pardon of sins, which is given in the beginning through the grace of baptism.

After this, neither mercy nor any indulgence is granted to the sinner. Certainly, it is fitting that the Christian, "for whom Christ died” (Rom 14:15) have a more difficult discipline. For the ancients, sheep, he-goats, cattle, and birds were killed and fine wheat flour was moistened. For you, the Son of God was killed.

How could it please you to sin again? And yet, lest these things not so much build up your souls for virtue as cast them down to despair, you heard how many sacrifices there were in the Law for sins. Now hear how many remissions of sins are in the gospel.

First is the one by which we are baptized "for the remission of sins” (Mark 1:4).

A second remission is in the suffering of martyrdom.

Third is that which is given through alms. For the Savior says, "but nevertheless, give what you have and, behold, all things are clean for you. (Luke 11:41).

A fourth remission of sins is given for us through the fact that we also forgive the sins of our brothers. For thus the Lord and Savior himself says, "If you will forgive from the heart your brothers' sins, your Father will also forgive you your sins. But if you will not forgive your brothers from the heart, neither will your Father forgive you” (Mt 6: 14, 15). And thus he taught us to say in prayer, "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” (Mt 6:12).

A fifth forgiveness of sins is when "someone will convert a sinner from the error of his way." For thus divine Scripture says, "Whoever will make a sinner turn from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”(Jas 5:20).

There is also a sixth forgiveness through the abundance of love as the Lord himself says, "Truly I say to you, her many sins are forgiven because she loved much.” (Luke 7:47). And the Apostle says, "Because love will cover a multitude of sins" (1 Pet 4:8).

And there is still a seventh remission of sins through penance, although admittedly it is difficult and toilsome, when the sinner washes "his couch in tears” (Ps 6:7) and his "tears" become his "bread day and night” (Ps 41:4) when he is not ashamed to make known his sin to the priest of the Lord and to seek a cure according to the one who says, "I said, 'I will proclaim to the Lord my injustice against myself,' and you forgave the impiety of my heart" (Ps 31:5).

What the Apostle James said is fulfilled in this:' "But if anyone is sick, let that person call the presbyters of the Church, and they will place their hands on him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and if he is in sins, they will be forgiven him.” (Jas 5:14-15).

And you, therefore, when you come to the grace of baptism, you offer "a calf," for "you are baptized into Christ's death” (Rom 6:3). But when you are led to martyrdom, you offer "a he-goat," because you kill the devil, the originator of sins. When you give alms and bestow the love of mercy moved by pity toward those in need, you load the sacred altar with fat goats.

For "if you should forgive your brother's sin from your heart” (Matt 18:35) and, having laid aside the tumor of your rage, gather within you a mild and simple spirit, be assured, you have killed your ram or offered your sheep in a sacrifice.

Furthermore, if, instructed in the divine readings "by meditating as a dove" (Isa 38:14) and by keeping watch in "the Law" of the Lord "day and night" (Ps 1:2) you should convert the sinner from his error and call him back from worthless wickedness to the innocence of a dove; and if, by clinging to the saints. (Rom 12:9) you should make him imitate the fellowship of a dove, you offered to the Lord "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

Because of this "love" which is "greater" than hope or faith," (1Cor 13:13) should abound in your heart, so that "you love your neighbor" not only "as yourself" (Mt 19:19) but as that one shows who said "No one has greater love than this, that he lays down his life for his friends” (John 15:13) know that you have offered loaves made of fine wheat flour "kneaded in the oil” (Lev 2:4) of love, without any "fermentation of malice and wickedness in the unleavened loaf of purity and truth" (1 Cor 5:8).

But if in the bitterness of your weeping you have been consumed in mourning, tears, and lamentations, if you have tortured your flesh and become parched with fastings and much self-restraint and have said, "My bones were fried as a frying pan” (Ps 101:4) then you have offered "as a sacrifice, fine wheat flour from the frying pan or gridiron." (Lev 2:4).

In this way, you will have discovered that you have offered sacrifices more fittingly and more perfectly, which Israel can no longer offer according to the Law.

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

At the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple on his 40 day after birth, Fr. John Brian talks about holding on to one thing. Righteous Simeon held the infant Lord in his arms and prophesied (as told in Luke Chapter 2)

This is juxtaposed with the pre-Lenten focus on remembering the departed. On this particular Sunday, it happens to be the 40th day after the death of a member of the mission. This brought a certain theme to the sermon this week.

This sermon uses and refers to scripture readings appointed by the Syrian Malankara calendar and was given on Sunday, February 5, 2012 by Fr. John-Brian Paprock at Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Mission
Chapel, Madison, Wisconsin.

This is a particularly important time for our mission - please pray for us and let us know your support. This year has great potential and we need your spiritual and earthly encouragement and support. Thank you in advance for your kindness and considerations.